SCARED LUKASHENKO, A RISK FOR RUSSIA

17 August 2020 SCARED LUKASHENKO, A RISK FOR RUSSIA

SOURCE: ROSGVARD.RU

Just two days after the presidential vote in Belarus, the Kremlin saw its bestscenario of a landslide victory of weak Alexander Lukashenko nearly happening. Yet large-scale protests that swept throughout the country were a bitter surprise for both Minsk and the Kremlin. A week past the presidential election, Vladimir Putin has a tough nut to crack: to support Lukashenko or to leave him on its own. The longer the Kremlin takes to make its final decision, the greater is the risk that Russian officials will no longer control what is now taking place across Belarus.

But this weekend’s two phone calls (on August 15 and 16) between the two leaders mark great nerves both in Minsk and Moscow. The Belarusian leader has no other choice. He might try to stay in power by forceful solutions but to do so, he needs Russia’s support and help